Grantham and county hospitals still affected by cyber attack as weekend appointments cancelled

Graham Newton

Lincolnshire Hospitals, including Grantham, are still affected by yesterday’s cyber attack which has struck many health trusts around the country.

The malware attack has left many hospitals unable to access patient data. Computer files have been locked and the ransomeware has demanded money is paid before access is restored.

All outpatient appointments, endoscopies, CT and MRI scans have been cancelled for this weekend.

A statement today by United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust said: ”ULHT hospitals are still affected by the cyber attack that hit many trusts nationally yesterday. We are asking patients to stay away unless their condition is serious or life threatening. This will help us to work through the issues and continue to provide safe patient care.

“We have teams working to restore our IT systems as soon as possible. We will provide updates as the situation changes. Thank you to all of our staff and patients during this time.”

The trust says there is no evidence that any patient data has been accessed.

It says if you feel unwell you should contact NHS 111. You should visit or call your pharmacy as usual for prescriptions and minor illnesses. Do not use urgent care services to access prescriptions.

Mark Brassington, ULHT chief operating officer, said: “We can confirm that ULHT has been affected by the cyber attack that has hit a number of Trusts across the country. Lincoln county Hospital, Pilgrim Hospital and Grantham hospital are all affected.

“At the moment all IT systems and many phone lines within our hospitals are switched off. Departments are taking action to ensure patient care is prioritised. We will be diverting some emergency cases to local hospitals which are not affected by the attack, where possible. We ask patients to only come to our A&Es if absolutely necessary.

“We do not yet know how long this incident will last, and therefore are cancelling all outpatient, endoscopy, cardiology and radiology appointments scheduled for this weekend. All ULHT staff are asked to come into work as planned this weekend.”